“One out of four diabetics will get a foot ulcer,” Piette said. “And one out of four of those will have an amputation.”

Once a patient has a foot ulcer, the costs rack up, she said.

“Each ulcer costs about $44,000 to treat,” Piette said.

Piette said more than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes and more than 1.7 million have a new diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) each year, with a 40 percent re-ulceration rate.

Diabetic foot ulcers can also lead to an increased risk of death, Piette said.

“The risk of death at five years for DFU patients is 2.5 times as high as the risk for a diabetic patient without a foot ulcer,” Piette said. “If you can prevent it from the beginning, you may be adding years to your life.”

How it works

Corstrata’s prevention program starts with less than a minute of the patient’s time.

“The patient steps on a smart mat every day for 20 seconds,” Piette said. “The mat takes a thermographic photo that can detect hot spots.”

The thermometric mat is the only remote temperature monitoring technology with FDA clearance.

Hot spots are an indicator of an impending ulcer. The mat can detect an ulcer about five weeks before the wound opens, Piette said.

“It’s been known for years that increased temperatures were an indicator of possible inflammation,” Piette said.

Inflammation can then lead to ulcers.

Information collected by the smart map is analyzed for hot spots.

If a hot spot is found, the patient is contacted for a treatment plan that includes the use of an off-loading shoe. The shoe helps relieve pressure against the hot spot, giving it time to return to normal.

Piette said much of what is known about wounds comes from research done at the Carville, La., Leprosarium in the 1970s.

The site is now the National Hansen's (leprosy) Disease Museum honoring once-quarantined leprosy patients and the medical staff who cared for them.

Peripheral neuropathy is the result of nerve damage and can cause numbness. It can also cause patients to inadvertently cause themselves trouble.

“Some diabetics don’t even know they have a foot wound,” Piette said.

High glucose levels and poor circulation from diabetes contribute to making the wounds difficult to treat.

Corstrata’s app does more than detect hot spots.

“We talk to patients once a month (in all cases),” Piette said. “There is a lot of patient engagement.”

Through the app, patients can also view educational videos, receive texts and documents, and have a live video visit with caregivers. The app will work on any smart device and is HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) secure for privacy.

Using Corstrata’s solution to prevent ulcers has a multitude of benefits, company co-founder and chief financial officer Joseph Ebberwein said.

“Research indicates that the use of early detection technology, coupled with evidence-based interventions, can prevent 75 percent of foot ulcers in this high-risk population,” Ebberwein said.